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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054683">Outside</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessica_Bones_Winchester/pseuds/Jessica_Bones_Winchester'>Jessica_Bones_Winchester</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Awkward Bucky, F/M, Fluff, Mild Angst, shy bucky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 15:27:14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>821</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28054683</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jessica_Bones_Winchester/pseuds/Jessica_Bones_Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This story was inspired by the Band of Horses song “I Go to the Barn Because I Like the.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Bucky Barnes/OFC, bucky barnes/original female character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>23</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Outside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Will you pick me up for the party?” she asked.</p>
<p>“Sure.” He answered a little too quickly, but she didn’t seem to notice.</p>
<p>“I’m glad Steve wants to do semi-formal. I haven’t had the chance to get dressed up for a while.”</p>
<p>Bucky stayed quiet. He hated it. Hated the fact that he had to wear a suit. Hated the fact that he had to go buy one from the thrift store around the corner. But he did. For her.</p>
<p>“I have the cutest little purple dress that I’ve been wanting to wear,” she said. “I even laid it out on my bed already. That’s the dress for tonight.”</p>
<p>Bucky felt like that dress. Empty. A lifeless shell, until she put it on. The girl he met at the outdoor market, who worked her way into his life. The girl who struck up a conversion like she’d known him for years. The girl who, weeks later, saw him walking along the crowded streets and stopped to speak to him; who saw him at a cafe with Steve and paid more attention to him than she did to Captain America as they sat and drank their coffee. The girl who made him forget he was broken when she smiled. The smile that disarmed him when they met. The smile that gave him the feeling that she thought she was the lucky one for knowing him.</p>
<p>“You’re zoned out again,” she said. “You do that a lot, lately.”</p>
<p>“I know.”</p>
<p>“You’re thinking about something.”</p>
<p>“Nah.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you are.”</p>
<p>“I just…” - <em>think about you</em> - “... go blank.”</p>
<p>“You know I can tell when you’re lying, Barnes.”</p>
<p>“I’m not.”</p>
<p>“Hmmmm.”</p>
<p>He was. She saw right through him. Maybe he should finally tell her how he felt. </p>
<p>“Ok,” she said. “Keep your secret thoughts. Just don’t be late tonight.”</p>
<p>———</p>
<p>Bucky stood at her doorstep, hand poised to knock, but he hesitated. She was upstairs, getting ready... to come down to him.</p>
<p>He glanced at his watch one more time. Was he too early? He was so damned nervous. He looked overeager. He looked desperate. The thought of her laughing in his face flashed through his mind and he started to panic. What if he was reading her wrong all this time. What if she only saw him as a friend. What if--</p>
<p>His thoughts were interrupted by the door swinging open.</p>
<p>“You know I have one of those doorbell cameras, right?”</p>
<p>Her long legs disappeared under the hem of her dress at the knees, waist hugged gently by the purple fabric she was so excited to wear, and Bucky imagined himself wrapped around her the same way.</p>
<p>“Bucky?”</p>
<p>“Yeah. Sorry.”</p>
<p>“You ok?”</p>
<p>“Fine. Just…” he tucked at his shirt collar, “not that comfortable.”</p>
<p>A soft smile crept onto her lips and she reached out her hand.</p>
<p>“Come inside a minute.”</p>
<p>He slipped his hand into hers and glanced down at her bare feet as he followed her into the living room. When he stepped up behind her, the top of her head was just under his chin. He could pull her back into him and it would be a perfect fit.</p>
<p>“I just have a couple of finishing touches, and I’ll be right down.”</p>
<p>Bucky nodded and sat on the sofa. “I’ll wait right here.”</p>
<p>-----------------</p>
<p>She was so at ease with people. Bucky remembered that. He used to be that way before the fall. He knew he might never get back to his old self, but she made him want to be that Bucky again. If only to to be hers.</p>
<p>“Let’s dance,” she said.</p>
<p>He was so lost in thought that he didn’t realize she’d found him again in the crowd.</p>
<p>“It’s been a while since I danced.”</p>
<p>“Then it’s way overdue. Come on.”</p>
<p>She took his hand and led him to the floor. Bucky rested his hand at the small of her back, and let out a silent sigh. She was in his arms.</p>
<p>He whispered her name. “I love you.”</p>
<p>The dance never stopped, but she tilted her head up and smiled.</p>
<p>“Is that the secret you’ve been keeping from me?”</p>
<p>Bucky nodded, and she chuckled. He tensed at the sound.</p>
<p>“Wanna know my secret?”</p>
<p>He nodded again, slowly.</p>
<p>“I have two secrets,” she said. “The first is that I knew your secret.”</p>
<p>“You did?”</p>
<p>“Mhm. The second secret… is that I love you, too.”</p>
<p>“You do?” Bucky stopped moving, but held her waist tighter and pulled her closer.</p>
<p>“I didn’t want to scare you away, so I didn’t tell you.”</p>
<p>Bucky closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to hers. His hands slid up her arms, caressed her shoulders, up her neck, and cupped her face.</p>
<p>“You <em>are </em>scary,” he whispered.</p>
<p>She laughed, and he pressed his lips gently to her parted mouth. She kissed him back, and the people around them faded outside the moment. Only the two of them were inside.</p>
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